The Racehorse: A Veterinary Manual

375 Pages·2014·361.599 MB·English

by  Peter H L Ramzan

RACEHORSE
Written by one of the UK’s leading equine veterinary practitioners, this textbook is dedicated T THE
wholly to the veterinary management of the racehorse. The Racehorse: A Veterinary Manual
H
brings together all the major orthopaedic and non-orthopaedic conditions likely to be encoun-
tered in racehorse practice and concisely details state-of-the-art ‘best practice’ for diagnosis E
and management strategies. The book spans the full range of fields relevant to the clinician
A Veterinary Manual

including topics as diverse as rehabilitation, respiratory medicine, exercise physiology, pre-
R
purchase and ‘herd health’. Well-illustrated and comprehensive, it succeeds in being both
practical and firmly evidence-based, making it an invaluable resource for clinicians world- A
wide as well as a useful reference work for many non-veterinarians in the racing industry.
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Pieter H. L.
Ramzan Pieter H. L. Ramzan
K22261
ISBN: 978-1-4822-2191-6
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The Racehorse:
A Veterinary Manual
PIETER H. L. RAMZAN, BVSc(Sydney), MRCVS
Rossdales Veterinary Practice
Beaufort Cottage Stables
Newmarket, Suffolk, UK
Chapter_00FMvf.indd 1 22/5/14 2:46 PM
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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Version Date: 20140219
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4822-2192-3 (eBook - PDF)
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knowledge of the patient’s medical history, relevant manufacturer’s instructions and the appropriate best practice guidelines. Because of the rapid
advances in medical science, any information or advice on dosages, procedures or diagnoses should be independently verified. The reader is strongly
urged to consult the drug companies’ printed instructions, and their websites, before administering any of the drugs recommended in this book. This
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CONTENTS
iii
Preface viii
Abbreviations x
Acknowledgements xii
PART 1 Injuries and Conditions of the Musculoskeletal System 01
CHAPTER 1 Injury management and rehabilitation 3
Introduction 3
Acute care and wound management 6
Management of joint disease 15
Rehabilitation 21
CHAPTER 2 Regional musculoskeletal conditions 31
The foot 31
The fetlock and pastern 50
The metacarpus/metatarsus (‘cannon’) 92
The carpus 108
The upper forelimb 124
The tarsus (hock) 136
The upper hindlimb 152
The pelvis 168
The neck and back 179
Other musculoskeletal conditions 190
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iv Cont ents
PART 2 Other Body Systems 199
CHAPTER 3 Respiratory conditions 201
Upper airway obstructions 201
Lower airway disease 222
CHAPTER 4 Cardiovascular conditions 235
Heart murmurs 235
Arrhythmias 236
Jugular thrombosis/thrombophlebitis 237
Exercise-related sudden death (cardiopulmonary failure) 239
CHAPTER 5 The head 241
Dentistry 241
Wounds 244
Eyes 246
Airways 248
Other 251
CHAPTER 6 Gastrointestinal conditions 255
CHAPTER 7 Urogenital conditions 265
Urinary tract problems 265
Female reproductive system 265
Male reproductive system 268
Intersex disorders 270
CHAPTER 8 Neurological conditions 271
Vertebral column conditions 271
Viral infections 273
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Contents v
CHAPTER 9 Skin conditions 277
Injuries 277
Infections 278
Other conditions 282
CHAPTER 10 Miscellaneous conditions 291
CHAPTER 11 Infectious diseases 293
PART 3 Training and Management 301
CHAPTER 12 Selection of the racehorse 303
Overview 303
The vetting procedure 304
Pre-purchase radiography 306
Pre-purchase ultrasonography 311
Assessment of airway function 311
Public auction vetting: the yearling 312
Public auction vetting: the ‘breeze-up’ 2 year old 312
Public auction vetting: the horse-in-training 313
Conformation 313
Heart size 315
Genetics of selection 315
CHAPTER 13 Exercise physiology and training 317
Overview of exercise physiology 317
The racehorse as athlete 317
Adaptations to training 318
Fundamentals of training 319
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vi Cont ents
Training aids 320
Fitness testing 322
Track types 323
CHAPTER 14 Nutrition 327
Principles of feeding 327
Key nutrients 327
Basic feed types 329
Supplements 330
Assessing nutritional problems 330
Poor appetite/condition 331
Feeding for performance 332
CHAPTER 15 Ergogenic aids 333
Overview 333
Nutritional aids 333
Non-nutritional aids 335
CHAPTER 16 Blood analysis 337
Blood constituents 337
Sampling 339
Effects of training 339
Interpretation 340
CHAPTER 17 Herd health 343
Biosecurity 343
Housing and air hygiene 345
Lower airway disease 345
Musculoskeletal injuries 346
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Contents vii
CHAPTER 18 Transport 349
Overview 349
Effects of transport 349
Veterinary management for long-distance transport 351
Part 4 Appendices 353
APPENDIX 1 Normal clinical parameters 355
APPENDIX 2 Drug administration reference table 356
APPENDIX 3 Guide to best practice for humane destruction in
emergency situations 358
APPENDIX 4 Blood reference ranges 360
INDEX 361
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PREFACE
viii
The Thoroughbred racing industry is now more than discount the value of shared experience and by doing
ever a globalized affair. Transport and communication so exclude knowledge that has accumulated over
links that have made the world a smaller place for generations in one of the hotbeds of equine veterinary
travel and business have had an equally profound endeavour. But rather than simply transcribe the
effect on racing and breeding activities, as well as received wisdoms of Newmarket racing practice,
the veterinary advances that support them. While every effort has been made to build the text from a
regional variations in disease and injury will always scientific base by reviewing not just the published
exist, clinicians in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa equine literature but much relevant work from human
and Australasia largely face the same challenges in sports medicine. The reader should also be reassured
respect of maintaining the health and well-being of that as far as possible the text has been made relevant to
racehorses under their care. all the major racing jurisdictions, not just the United
The primary aim of this book is to provide a practical Kingdom and Europe.
and objective source of veterinary information, This work seeks to draw together those conditions
pertinent to the Thoroughbred racehorse, that is that might reasonably be encountered in the day-to-day
accessible to both the racehorse and non-racehorse management of a racing yard and arms the practitioner
clinician. It is also hoped that others within the industry with information necessary for clinical problem
interested in veterinary matters will find it a useful solving. Orthopaedic injury necessarily accounts for
reference work. While there are several excellent texts the major part of the book. Advice on rehabilitation
available on equine orthopaedics and sports medicine, periods and prognosis is undoubtedly of particular
information relating to racehorses is fragmented and interest to the user and these have been defined as
sometimes contradictory. Many conditions are poorly tightly as possible in order to be of practical benefit.
serviced by the literature, and descriptions of even As very little published information exists on likely
those common to other equine disciplines frequently return to racing following most injuries (in relation to
fail to take account of practicalities of management uninjured cohorts), categories from excellent to poor
peculiar to the racing industry. Racing practice is have been used for prognosis. Where more specific
a very particular blend of population medicine and figures exist these have been included in the relevant
highly focused individual care and is a specialism in chapters. Also of enduring interest to clinicians and
its own right. trainers are recommendations for withdrawal times
I was very conscious throughout this project of of medications prior to racing. In this, however, it is
the need to create a text based more on evidence not possible to provide guidelines, due to the shifting
than anecdote. The great challenge, of course, is that goalposts of testing procedures, regulatory advice and
much of what we do as equine clinicians is derived individual variability in pharmacokinetics. Here the
empirically; indeed, there is no scientifically validated reader is referred to drug detection times published
‘best’ way to manage respiratory disease or for that by regulatory boards and current advice from local
matter most orthopaedic injuries. On the other hand, veterinary clinicians.
one would be unwise in the pursuit of objectivity to
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